As with all things, there is too much great art to really make from one post. I decided to limit myself to highlighting three artists, taking the readers' poll into account as an incentive for places to get out the vote next year.
Stacey George - Clown Shoes Brewing
Winning the readers' poll with 67% of the 237 votes cast, Stacey George's design of Clown Shoes art was a big hit with readers. This was a particularly interesting case, because we also got to see George redesign one label to fit with the brewery's oeuvre.
Stacey sent me some of her new work, including this awesome piece:
Yeah, they named a beer Tramp Stamp. I love it. And, just when you think there aren't any clown shoes, we can look closer at the tattoo:
Okay, so we've talked a lot this year about masculinity and femininity in beer art. So it probably makes me a bit of pig to say the woman in this illustration is pretty hot... but she's hot. And the tramp stamp gives her just that little bit of trashiness. To be honest, George has a real talent for depicting eye candy of both genders (see the Eagle Claw Fist guy above, or the Brown Angel figure). Yes, I'm a pig. But the larger point is that the art is excellent, amusing, tongue-in-cheek, and eye-catching. In short, it's all of the things that make George's Clown Shoes artwork some of the best of the year.
Ezra Johnson-Greenough aka Samurai Artist - Upright Brewing
For those of you who don't know, Samurai Artist's blog The New School is one of the most read beer blogs (#5 on Wikio's December rankings), with multiple excellent authors. They focus on the Portland-area craft beer scene, but cover a number of different topics and are a must-read for craft beer readers.
Lee Verzosa - Stillwater Artisan Ales
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Okay, those are the three craft beer artists I (and you) chose as the best of the year. There were plenty more I could have highlighted, and there are probably many I missed. If you're a brewery or artist and think you got shafted... well, my apologies. Post a comment, add me to your d-list, and make sure I know about the great work you're doing. If you're just a craft beer or design fan and think I missed something, chime in and tell everyone.
Thanks from this Pour Curator to everyone who's commented, voted, or read a post on this blog this year. I've had a great time, and I'm looking forward to more great beer art in 2011.
Updated: It took me a full year to realize that I originally jumped a year into the future on the title of this post.